1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to an engine drain and flushing system and, more particularly, to an engine drain system that allows easy access to a handle which permits the operator of a marine vessel to open and close the drain, which is located near the bottom of the engine, without having to directly manipulate the drain manually to accomplish these purposes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many different types of engine drain systems are known to those skilled in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,064, which issued to Logan et al on Oct. 24, 2000 discloses an engine drain system. The engine cooling system is provided with a manifold that is located below the lowest point of the cooling system of an engine. The manifold is connected to the cooling system of the engine, a water pump, a circulation pump, the exhaust manifolds of the engine, and a drain conduit through which all of the water can be drained from the engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,342, which issued to Logan et al on Nov. 9, 1999, discloses a flushing system for a marine propulsion engine. The flushing system provides a pair of check valves that are used in combination with each other. One of the check valves is attached to a hose located between the circulating pump and the thermostat housing of the engine. The other check valves is attached to a hose through which fresh water is provided. Both check valves prevent flow of water through them unless they are associated together in locking attachment. The check valve attached to the circulating pump hose of the engine directs a stream of water from the hose toward the circulating pump so that the water can then flow through the circulating pump, the engine block, the heads, the intake manifold, and the exhaust system of the engine to remove sea water residue from the internal passages and surfaces of the engine. It is not required that the engine be operated during the flushing operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,343,965 which issued to Biggs et al on Feb. 5, 2002, discloses a drain system for a marine vessel which is pneumatically actuated. The drain system includes one or more pressure actuated valves associated with the coolant water drain system. The boat operator is provided with a pressure controller that allows pressure to be introduced into the system for the purpose of actuating the drain valve and, as a result, opening various drain conduits to allow cooling water to drain from the engine cooling system into the bilge or overboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,934, which issued to Biggs et al on Jul. 18, 2000, discloses an engine cooling system with a simplified drain and flushing procedure. The engine cooling system is provided with one or more flexible conduits attached to drain openings of the engine and its related components. First ends of the conduits are attached to the drain openings while the second ends are sealed by studs attached to a plate of a stationary bracket. A retainer is slidably associated with the flexible conduits and attached to a tether which is, in turn, attached to a handle. By manipulating the handle, the tether forces the retainer to slide along the flexible conduits and control the position of the second ends of the flexible conduits. This allows the system to be moved from a first position with the second ends of the conduits above the first ends of the conduits to a second position with the second ends of the conduits below the first ends and in the bilge of the boat. This allows an operator to stand in a single location and move the drain system from the first and second positions and back again without having to reach down into the engine compartment to remove drain plugs. The system allows the cooling system to be easily drained and flushed.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/716,533 which was filed on Nov. 20, 2000 by Biggs et al and assigned to the assignee of the present application discloses a marine engine cooling system which is provided with a valve in which a ball moves freely within a cavity formed within the valve. Pressurized water, from a water pump, causes the ball to block fluid flow through the cavity and forces pumped water to flow through a preferred conduit which may include a heat exchanger. When the water pump is inoperative, the ball moves downward within the cavity to unblock a drain passage and allow water to drain from the heat generating components of the engine.
The patents described above are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in the description of the present invention.
In certain types of marine propulsion systems, it would be significantly beneficial if a simple mechanism could be provided to allow the operator of a marine vessel to actuate the drain valve without having to physically manipulate the lower portions of the engine or its cooling system.
An engine drain system made in accordance with the present invention comprises an engine having a water cooling system which, in turn, comprises internal passages within a block of the engine. It also comprises a manifold having internal passages and connected in fluid communication with the water cooling system. A drain system is connected in fluid communication with a manifold, whereby the water cooling system can be effectively drained through the drain conduit by the effect of gravity. A valve is associated with a drain conduit for selectively blocking or unblocking the drain conduit. A manually movable actuator is attached to the valve and comprises a shaft having a first end and a second end. The shaft extends upward from the valve to a location proximate, or at the height of, a top portion of the engine. The shaft is movable into a first position to cause the valve to block the drain conduit and into a second position to cause the valve to unblock the drain conduit.
The second, or lower, end of the shaft is attached to the valve and the first, or upper, end of the shaft is attached to a manually rotatable handle. The manifold is disposed below the level of the lowest portion of the water cooling system which normally retains cooling water when the engine is not operating, in a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention.
The shaft extends in a generally vertical direction upward from the valve in one embodiment of the present invention in order to locate the handle, at the first end of the shaft, at a reasonably convenient location for manual access by the operator of the marine vessel. The shaft is axially movable between the first and second positions of the valve in response to rotation of the shaft about an axis of the shaft, in a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention. Alternatively, the shaft can be axially movable in response to the operation of a manual lever by the operator of the vessel.